Lightning Strikes Twice: Looking Back at a Memorable Postseason

One week ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning polished off the Montreal Canadiens to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup. Unlike 2020, they captured this championship in front of over 18,000 fans at Amalie Arena. Players’ families were in the building, waiting patiently for their chance to get on the ice. The party in Tampa lasted all night. Heck, the team didn’t stop partying until Tuesday.

With the partying over with, it’s time to reflect. The Lightning accomplished a rare feat by winning back-to-back Stanley Cups. They join the Pittsburgh Penguins (1991-92 and 2016-17) and Detroit Red Wings (1997-98) as the only four teams to win two in a row over the last 30 years. Perhaps more impressively, they stand with the 2016-17 Penguins as the only teams to win more than one Cup during the salary cap era.

How did the Lightning get there?

Kucherov Returns in Style

After missing the entire regular season because of hip surgery, Nikita Kucherov wasted little time making an impact. He scored twice in the second period, helping the Lightning overcome a 2-1 deficit against the Florida Panthers. The crafty right-winger also added an assist to tally three points in a 5-4 win. That helped set the tone in a physical and, at times, nasty six-game series victory.

Comeback Kids Strike Back

Fresh off of an overtime loss that cut their series lead to 2-1, the Lightning found themselves trailing the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 midway through Game 4. They proceeded to score two in the final 10 minutes of Period 2 to take a 5-4 lead after 40 minutes. Steven Stamkos added an insurance goal in the third period, propelling Tampa Bay to within one win of another Stanley Cup semifinals appearance.

Overtime Woes No Match For Bolts

Last season, the Lightning won almost every overtime game they took part in. That included an epic five-overtime affair to kick off Round One versus the Columbus Blue Jackets. Brayden Point potted the game-winner after six hours then, giving the team confidence moving forward.

In 2021, the Lightning lost one overtime game in each round for an 0-4 record. None was tougher than Anthony Beauvillier’s Game 6 winner, forcing the series against the New York Islanders to seven games. It was hard to swallow because the Bolts blew a two-goal lead to a team that had struggled to generate offense since Game 4. They played much of that game without the services of Kucherov, as the winger took a nasty cross check to the ribs courtesy of Scott Mayfield.

Vasilevskiy Shuts the Door (Again)

With the Lightning’s season on the line, Andrei Vasilevskiy did what he had done all playoffs long. He pitched a shutout, eliminating the Islanders and pushing the Bolts back to the Stanley Cup Final. There, they would face a young and talented Montreal Canadiens team.

For Vasilevskiy, this year’s postseason showcased why he’s widely regarded as one of the best goalies in the league. He had a 1.90 goals against average (GAA) and a .937 save percentage to go along with five shutouts, four of which occurred in series-clinching games. That earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy as Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2021 playoffs.

Defense Pitches In

After remaining relatively quiet for most of the playoffs, the Lightning defense showed signs of waking up late in the Islanders series. They carried that momentum to the Stanley Cup Final, as the back end started to contribute offensively.

Erik Cernak scored in Game 1, helping the team take a 1-0 series lead. Jan Rutta and Victor Hedman each found the back of the net early in Game 3, as the Bolts took a commanding 3-0 series lead. Trade deadline acquisition David Savard even got in on the act, with the primary assist on rookie Ross Colton’s game-winning goal to clinch the Cup.

Depth. Heart. Grit. Star power. Outstanding goaltending. All of that was needed and shown by the Lightning in the 2021 postseason. The reward: yet another Stanley Cup in Champa Bay!